Speaking-tube terminal.



R. N. JOHNSON. SPEAKING TUBE TERMINAL. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2 1,032,756.

6, 1911. RENEWED MAY 25, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANUGMTH c0.,wAsulNGToN, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT N. JOHNSON, 0F BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPEAKING-TUBE TERMINAL.

Patented July 16,1912.

Application filed. January 26, 1911, Serial No. 604,818. Renewed May 25, 1912. Serial No. 699,738.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1', ROBERT N. JoI-INsoN, of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speaking-Tube Terminals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a terminal structure to be located in the vestibule of a building equipped with speaking'tubes, the structure having a single mouth piece which is adapted to be selectively connected with any one of a plurality of speaking tubes extending to the different parts of the building, the arrangement being such that the single mouth piece serves for a plurality of speaking tubes.

The invention has for its object to provide a terminal structure of the character indicated adapted not only to selectively connect a single mouth piece with either of a plurality of speaking tubes, but also to selectively make operative either of a plurality of electric signaling circuits, each including an electric hell or other signal at the inside terminal of one of the speaking tubes, the arrangement being such that the operation of connecting the mouth piece of the terminal structure with a given speaking tube, will make operative an electric signal I accompanying said speaking tube and located adjacent to its inner end.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a terminal structure embodying my invention, portions of the structure being broken away; Fig. 2

represents a section on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 represents a front elevation of that portion of the structure located behind the front plate, shown by Figs. 1 and 2, said plate and the single mouth piece being removed, Fig. 3 also including a diagram of an electric signaling system; and Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 12 represents a face plate adapted to be attached to a wall 13, and to cover an opening 14, in said wall.

15 represents a circular casing having ears 16, which are attached by screws 17 to the face plate. The casing 15 includes a back 18. the mouth or open end of said casing being covered by the plate 12 so that the casing and plate together form a. circular air chamber 19. The back of the casing 15 is provided with a plurality of orifices 20, each surrounded by a sleeve or nipple 21, adapted to be connected with one end of a speaking tube 22. I have here shown three of the orifices 20, and it will be understood that the speaking tubes 22 connected with said orifices extend to different parts of a building in the vestibule of which the terminal structure is located.

The plate 12 is provided with an orifice 28 in which is journaled one end of a tube 24, said tube having a closed end 24 pro vided with a stud 24 which is journaled in a bearing formed for its reception in the back 18. The outer end of the tube 24 is provided with a mouth piece 25 which projects from the front side of the plate 12. The tube 24 is provided with one or more openings 26 communicating with the chamber 19 so that sound waves entering the mouth piece 25 pass through the said chamher. The closed end 24 is provided with a flange 27 constituting a valve formed to cover and rotate on the back of the casing,

said valve having a single orifice 28 adapted to register with either of the speaking tube orifices 20.

The tube 24 is provided with an arm 29 which serves both as a handle torotate the tube, and as an indicator cooperating with suitable indicating characters on the front of the plate 12, said-characters, as here shown, being 1st, 211d, 3rd, and indicating the different floors to which the speaking tubes 22 extend. It will be seen that a person standing in the vestibule and facing the plate 12 may communicate with either floor by turning the tube 24 so that the valve orifice 28 will register with the desired speaking tube, and then speaking into the mouth piece 25, the sound waves passing through the chamber 19, the valve orifice 28, and the speaking tube registering therewith, the other speaking tubes being shut off by the valve which is preferably provided with a face 30 of felt or other compressible inaterial, bearing on the back 18. To the tube 24 is attached an arm 31 having a resilient terminal 82, said arm 31 constituting an electrode or circuit-closing-and-breaking device, the arm being a conductor of electricity and in electrical connect-ion with the tube 24 and the face plate 12, which are also of conducting material.

The casing 15 is provided with a plurality of fixed electrodes 33 which are located in the path of the terminal 32, so that said terminal is adapted to make a contact with either of the electrodes The fixed electrodes 33 correspond in number and position to the speaking tubes 22, each electrode 33 being supported by a bushing 34- of insulating material inserted in the casing 15, so that the electrodes 33 are insulated from the casing. The electrodes 33 are provided with suitable binding posts by which conducting wires 35 may be secured in electrical connection with the said electrodes.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the electrodes are adapted to be electrically connected with electric bells or other signals 36, as diagrammatically represented by Fig. 3, where three electric bells are shown, and circuit wires connecting said bells with the electrodes 33 in such manner as to form a plurality of electric circuits, each of which is adapted to be made operative by the contact of the terminal 32 with one of the fixed electrodes The wiring is preferably so arranged that each signal 36 is included in abranch of a normally open circuit which. includes a battery 37, a fixed electrode 38 and a spring electrode 39, normally separated from the electrode 38 and provided with a push knob 4:3. When the electrode 39 is pressed against the electrode 38, the main circuit is closed, and if at the same time the electrode terminal 32 is in contact with one of the fixed electrodes 33, the signal 36 connected with said electrode is operated. The electrode 38 is supported by a post or arm ll of insulating material attached to the casing 15, and the electrode 39 is attached to the face plate 12, the push knob being movable in an orifice formed for its reception in the face plate.

It will now be seen that when the tube 21- is turned to cause the valve orifice 28 to register with a given speaking tube 22, the electrode terminal 32 is at the same time brought into contact with the fixed electrode 33 which is connected with the signal pertaining to the connected speaking tube, so that pressure on the push knob 43 operates the signal of the connected speaking tube. It will also be seen that when the described terminal structure is applied to a wall of a building the described signaling system may be completed by simply connecting the conducting wires with the elec trodes 33 and 38.

I claim,

1. A speaking tube terminal comprising an air chamber having a mouth-piece, a rotary member within the chamber adapted to selectively connect the chamber with either of a plurality of speaking tubes, a movable electrode which is revolved by the rotation of said member, and a plurality of fixed electrodes located in the path of the movable electrode, and adapted to cooperate therewith in selectively making operative either of a plurality of electric sig naling circuits.

2. A speaking tube terminal comprising a chamber having a single orifice in its front portion, and a plurality of orifices in its rear portion adapted to be connected with a plurality of fixed speaking tubes, a single rotary tube adapted to rotate in the front orifice, and provided at its outer end with a valve formed to cover the rear orifices and having a single port adapted to register with either of the rear orifices to connect the chamber with either of the fixed speaking tubes, the rotary tube being provided with one or more openings communicating with the chamber, a movable electrode attached to the rotary tube and adapted to be revolved by the rotation thereof, and a series of fixed electrodes attached to the wall of the chamber and arranged in the path of said movable electrode, said fixed electrodes having means for connection with circuit wires and corresponding in number and position to the rear orifices of the chamber, so that whenever the valve port registers with either rear orifice, the movable electrode makes contact with the corresponding fixed electrode.

3. A speaking tube terminal comprising a chamber having a single orifice in its front portion, and a plurality of orifices in its rear portion adapted to be connected with aplurality of fixed speaking tubes, a single rotary tube adapted to rotate in the front orifice, and provided at its outer end with a valve formed to cover the rear orifices and having a single port adapted to register with either of the rear orifices to connect the cham her with either of the fixed speaking tubes, the rotary tube being provided with one or more openings communicating with the chamber, a movable electrode attached to the rotary tube and adapted to be revolved by the rotation thereof, a series of fixed electrodes attached to the wall of the chamber and arranged in the path of said movable electrode, said fixed electrodes having means for connection with circuit wires and it normally inoperative circuit-closing device operable from the front of the chamber.

4. re speaking tube terminal comprising a chamber having a single orifice in its front portion, and a plurality of orifices in its rear portion adapted to be connected with a plurality of fixed speaking tubes, a single rotary tube adapted to rotate in the front orifice, and provided at its outer end with a valve formed to cover the rear orifices and having a single port adapted to register with either of the rear orifices to connect the chamber with either of the fixed Speaking able contact spring normally separated from sald electrode and provided with a push piece operable from the front of the chamber 15 to make contact electrode.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ROBERT N. JOHNSON.

with the spring and the Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, P. W. PEZZETTI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents, Washington, D. G. 

